Week 10 Woudagemaal

Week 10 

The Woudagemaal - A UNESCO World Heritage Site

Robin and Joy are here to work on their boat - later this week, both boats go into the shed for painting and some welding work.

We had a "free" Sunday so we went to see the Woudagemaal Pumping Station in Lemmer.

"gemaal" means pump - and Wouda is the name of the principal Architect. There was also a principal Engineer who was responsible for the actual machinery - I think his work was more worthy of the naming rights...

The Woudagemaal in Lemmer - in the province of Friesland - was opened in 1920. It is the largest steam pumping station ever built and still in operation. It represents the culmination of the contribution of Dutch engineers and architects in protecting their people and land against the natural forces of water. Excess water was originally drained by windmills. The first use of steam for pumping away water happened in 1825 on the Arkelse Dam, near Gorinchem. The construction of steam-driven pumping stations reached its peak between 1870 and 1885.

The water management authority - Wetterskip Fryslan - is responsible for water levels in Friesland and part of Groningen. A large part of this area is below sea level and would be continually flooded if not for the pumps.

Interestingly, water can actually be pumped back the other way in times of drought. We saw this in 2018, when low water levels were in danger of damaging the integrity of the many dikes.

Almost 1000 pumps are used to manage the water levels. We have just had the wettest February on record and so the huge steam pumps were brought into operation. They are only used when absolutely necessary - and so we were lucky to be able to see them in operation.

They were built just after the first world war. Electricity was considered but the network was not yet sufficient to meet their needs. Diesel was also considered, but there was an acute shortage due to the war. And so steam...originally coal-fired but now using bunker fuel - and diesel for the first start-up.

At that time, the pumping station was on the edge of the Zuider Zee (The South Sea) and so there are huge wooden gates protecting the pumping station from severe storms and ice floes. In 1933 the Afsluitdijk (Closing Dike) was completed and so the doors never had to be used. They are, however, maintained as part of the UNESCO requirements for the site.

Around the farm...

I think I spent the whole week just removing stumps...

from trees that were blown over in January, 2018...

The largest stump was too heavy for the (mini) tractor, so we had to get Ankie to drive while we put weight on the front (I got off just to take the photo)...all in a days work....

Ben is back home, but all his travel plans are in tatters with the Corona Virus. Paul & Heather were also heading to Milan but will now have to change flights, if at all possible.

Boat News...

My sternthruster is "being shipped" - hope to see it early this week. The boats go in the shed on Tuesday for painting and welding work.

It "should" look like this...